U.S. education secretary, governor visit Detroit schools

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder read "The Rainbow Fish" book to a pre-kindergarten class at Thirkell Elementary School in Detroit on Monday, May 6, 2013. The pair were in Detroit for a series of events highlighting local education reform and the importance of investing in efforts to prepare all students to be successful in college and careers, starting from a student's earliest years. (AP Photo/Detroit News, David Coates)

DETROIT (AP) -- Pre-kindergartners at a Detroit school received a visit Monday from President Barack Obama's education secretary and Gov. Rick Snyder, who read to them from the book "The Rainbow Fish."

Secretary Arne Duncan and Snyder also talked with fifth graders during the stop at Thirkell Elementary School.

"I know the schools are struggling, but they're getting better, and my job is to make sure it's better," Duncan told students, according to The Detroit News.

Duncan told the fifth-graders that he wants them to go to college and consider staying in Michigan to pursue their careers.

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"We want to make sure that when you're done with school, you stay here," he said.

Thirkell is part of the Detroit Public Schools and has about 490 students from preschool through eighth grade.

Snyder told students, teachers and administrators that he and his aides are working to improve Detroit as well as the city's schools.

"We're going to turn Detroit around," Snyder said. "We're working with the downtown and midtown and now we're working on the neighborhoods."